LAS VEGAS – The Parnelli Awards Board of Advisors announced that John Waite, a prolific songwriter and one of rock’s greatest singers, will be the host for the 19th Annual Parnelli Awards held at the Anaheim Hilton on Friday, Jan. 17, 2020.
Waite says he’s pleased to be part of the Parnelli Awards. “When it comes to showtime, the road crew are the real heroes of the night,” he says. “They make the whole thing come together. Without them I wouldn’t be here today. I owe them my career.”
Waite first burst on the scene as lead singer and bassist of The Babys, which had two hit songs that both peaked at No. 13 on Billboard’s Chart – “Isn’t it Time” (1977) and “Every Time I Think of You” (1979). After the group disbanded, in 1981, he launched a wildly successful solo career that continues to this day.
His first solo album, Ignition (1982) included the hit single, “Change,” and his second solo album, No Brakes (1984) featured the monster hit “Missing You,” which topped the charts and got nominated for a 1985 Grammy Award. Waite then joined the supergroup Bad English in the late 1980s, with a 1989 debut album release that included “When I See You Smile” and other hit songs.
In 1995, he returned to the recording studio and concert trek as a solo artist, and has produced a string of solid, existentially eccentric, eclectic, and electric rock n’ roll records, including Temple Bar (1995), When You Were Mine (1997), Figure in a Landscape (2001), The Hard Way (2004), Downtown: Journey of a Heart (2006) and Rough & Tumble (2011).
Along with his studio creations, Waite has continued to perform live, releasing three live albums in the 2000’s, including Live & Rare Tracks (2001), In Real Time (2010) and Live – All Access (2013). His discography also includes compilation albums The Essential John Waite (1992), Complete (1996), Best (2014) and Wooden Heart (I, an EP, in 2014, and II, an album, in 2017).
“John has a long career filled with great music and hit songs, and this will be our first host whose had a number-one hit on Billboard,” says Parnelli Awards Executive Producer Terry Lowe. “But beyond his artistry and storytelling through song, he is greatly admired for his honesty, integrity, and sense of humor, all of which make him a perfect fit for an award show that honors the professionals in the live event industry.”
Wait was born in Lancaster, Lancashire, and actually played bass for a band in Cleveland before returning to England to form The Babys. He’s also recorded songs for movie soundtracks (Days of Thunder), a duet of “Missing You” with Alison Krauss, and toured with Ringo Star’s All Star Band (2003). After a successful tour of Australia last year (his first on that continent), he’s back touring the U.S. to sold-out crowds.
“John will join the distinguished list of musicians who have taken the opportunity to give back to the road crews who make up our Parnelli audience who, like him, are still living life on the road,” says Marshall Bissett, Chairman of the Parnelli Advisory Board.
Since 2001, hundreds of the live event industry’s highest achievers and most admired innovators have received a Parnelli Award. For more information and to make your reservation, go to ParnelliAwards.com.
The show is made possible by forward-thinking industry-leading companies and organizations who sponsor the show. They include:
Platinum Sponsor: Group One Ltd./DiGiCo; Gold Sponsors: All Access Staging & Production, Bandit Lites, Bose Professional, d&b audiotechnik, Elation, G2 Structures, Gallagher Rental Inc., Global Trend Pro, Harman Professional, High End Systems, Maryland Sound, Master FX, Meyer Sound, Moo TV, NAMM, NovaStar, PRG, Pyrotecnico FX, Pyrotek Special Effects, Rat Sound Systems, Robe, Rock-It Cargo, RZI Lighting, Screenworks/NEP, Solotech, Sound Image, Stageline, Strictly FX, Ultratec Special Effects and VUE Audiotechnik; Silver Sponsors: ACT Lighting, Hemphill Brothers, On Tour Logistics, ROE Visual and See Factor; Cocktail Party Sponsors: Brown Note Productions, Chauvet Professional and TLS Productions; After-Party Sponsor Pyrotek Special Effects and Production Partners: Access Event Solutions, Atomic Design and TPI.
For more information, go to www.parnelliawards.com.
